The Hen and the Beagle
by Puppets Blizzt
Summary: Set after Partings. Lorelai is pregnant and doesn't know who the father is. Her child needs a father, and the choice she makes will plague her for years... Lorelai/Chris. Eventually Lorelai/Luke.
1. Surprise

Yay new stories!

I can't promise any quick updates. Though I have planned out the next 8+ chapters of this story, my first priority is _Against the World_, and I only started this because I reached a writers block with AtW and I knew where I wanted to go with this one.

I hope you enjoy, and please don't kill me for the decision Lorelai made. ;P

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Gilmore Girls, Rachel would have stuck around longer. I didn't like that she interfered with Lorelai and Luke, but I quite enjoyed her character.

* * *

><p>Lorelai Gilmore had become robotic since her break-up with one Luke Danes. Ever since then, the moment her true love had refused to jump with her, a part of her was lost. A part of her seemed to be floating in limbo, never to return. She wasn't the same Lorelai she once was. She hadn't set foot in Luke's since then, and she regretted this, too. Who wouldn't regret a forceful fast from the best coffee in Connecticut?<p>

She remembered that night vividly. The way he seemed surprised at her outburst, shocked at her demands. Reflecting, she admitted she had been harsh and forward. But how else was she to get what she wanted? She remembered his lost gaze, his pleading words. She remembered him attempting to sooth her, to slow things down.

But she didn't want to slow down. She wanted to speed up. She wanted to move forward. And he couldn't do that. He wouldn't do that. She remembered bursting into tears as she walked away.

She frowned. Told herself again and again she had made a mistake. She had thought this was what she wanted – space, time. She thought she would be okay… without him. But she knew it wasn't true. How could she be happy when his face broke her heart? She had to tell him. She couldn't live down a lie like that. But his face was so crushed. She knew he was upset, and he had every right to be. She hadn't intended to hurt him the way she did. To see him go from so happy and excited to so angry and upset… she could still see his face.

She regretted her actions every second of the day. She didn't regret issuing the ultimatum. She had to do it. She couldn't force herself to be in a relationship that was one-way, going nowhere. She loved Luke – she knew she did – but she couldn't anymore. She asked for more, and he couldn't give it to her. She didn't regret leaving that relationship. She did regret jumping straight to Christopher. She loved Christopher, too, but she knew she had acted too quickly. She was hurting; she needed someone to take away that hurt. She didn't mean for it to hurt Luke in the process.

Lorelai sighed. Huddled on the corner of her couch, she stared sullenly at the floor. She didn't want to wait for Luke. She was done waiting. Waiting was not in her vocabulary. She was a very impulsive woman, a trait that seemed prominent in the Gilmore genes. But as she thought, she realized she didn't want to be with Christopher, either. Among Max, Jason, Alex, Luke, and Christopher, she'd had enough drama to fill the Red Sea. Maybe she would just swear off men forever. Could she do that? She gave a small laugh. Probably not.

She hadn't told anyone yet. She didn't know if she'd be able to bring herself to do it. The whole town had been so invested into their relationship. At times, it seemed like they cared more than either of they did. She couldn't begin to fathom their dismay at their breakup. As far as the town knew, they had only argued. But they both knew it was more than that. Sooner or later, they'd find out. And when they did… she wasn't sure if she'd want to be around for it. That was the misfortune of being the popular inn owner of the quaint little town; they all knew her. They all knew who she was, knew about her life… they all knew she belonged with Luke.

But she didn't belong with Luke. She couldn't. She couldn't be in a relationship where she wasn't getting what she needed. She needed them to be on the same page, but it seemed like she was breezing through and he was still on page twenty. She couldn't have that. She didn't want that. She wanted to be close to Luke and April, and she was only being pushed away. She couldn't take it.

Conflicted – not knowing what to do – she sat in her empty house, silent. Even as Rory came in, she turned her head ever so slightly to acknowledge her presence. But she didn't say a word. As Rory sank into the couch beside her, she rested her head on her shoulder.

Her half-eaten meal lay on the coffee table, growing colder with each passing second. She wasn't hungry. She wasn't thirsty. She wasn't anything.

* * *

><p>She awoke the next morning with sleepy eyes. Her remodeled bedroom allowed more light to shine into the room, and the sun's rays blinded her instantly. She blinked in reaction, turning her head away. After moments of laziness, she heaved herself out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom.<p>

Staring at herself in the mirror, it wasn't even a minute before she found herself growing sick. She hurried to the toilet and held back her hair as the contents of her stomach projected into the bowl. She groaned and wiped her mouth. _It must have been the Indian food_, she grimaced.

There she remained for the next hour before Rory found her. Rory crouched next to her until she felt better.

"Mom…"

"I'm fine," Lorelai shrugged, "it was the Indian."

"But…" Rory countered in confusion, "I shared that with you and I'm fine…"

"Maybe it's just a bug," she replied unconcernedly.

"Yeah," Rory nodded unsurely, "maybe."

"I'll go to the doctor's if it doesn't go away soon," she promised.

The sickness persisted throughout the week, and Lorelai grew more worried. Maybe it wasn't the food…

By Friday, she decided it would be best to go to the doctor's.

The rest of the day was a blur. She remembered going home and sitting around most of the afternoon. She remembered meeting Rory at her parents before Friday night dinner. She remembered leaving their house and driving home.

"—and I guess I just don't know what to do," Rory rambled. Lorelai snapped out of her thoughts, shaking her head. "You didn't hear a word of that, did you?"

"Sorry," Lorelai apologized.

"What's wrong?" Rory asked curiously, "what did the doctor say? Was it the food?"

"No," Lorelai chuckled softly, "definitely wasn't the food…"

"Then…?"

"I... might be pregnant," she faltered nervously.

"You—" Rory stuttered, "what?"

"I'm… pregnant," she repeated.

"That's great!" Rory said happily.

"Is it?" she asked doubtfully.

"Why wouldn't it be? I mean, it is Luke, right?"

Lorelai bit her lip. "I don't know," she admitted.

"'I don't know?'" Rory echoed, "What does that mean?"

"It means I don't know," Lorelai answered, rolling her eyes.

"How can you not know?"

"Luke and I… broke up. A few weeks ago, actually. I never said anything because I didn't want to talk about it," she explained. "And… after we broke up…I – I went to see Christopher, and—"

"You went to see Dad," Rory repeated, fighting to keep her tone under control.

"Yes," Lorelai admitted, "but you have to understand, Rory… I—"

"Understand what?" Rory interrupted, "that you slept with Dad after you broke up with Luke? Why? Why would you do that?"

"I was hurting, Rory," Lorelai attempted to justify, "I'm not perfect, okay? People make mistakes."

"Not mistakes like this. If you're hurt, fine. If you're heartbroken, fine. You rent_ An Affair to Remember_, have a good cry, and drown your sorrows in a pint of ice cream. You get a hideously unflattering breakup haircut. You don't sleep with Dad. What could have _possibly _been going through your mind?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," Lorelai shook her head furiously, working hard to keep temper under control, "I made a mistake. People are allowed to make mistakes."

"I—You know what? Fine. I can't do this."

Before Lorelai could refute, Rory stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Lorelai shook her head, a thin expression on her face. She didn't know who her child belonged to. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. Her heart seemed split down the middle. Her mind was no help. She sighed in frustration, tossing her head into her hands and inhaling deeply. She wasn't sure she could do this alone again. This child needed a father. Maybe not the real father, but he or she needed a father.

She wanted to be with Luke desperately. She had been so close to marrying him – to having that whole package. She had never really loved anyone until Luke, and she knew that well. Luke was, after all, the one who built her a chuppah; the one who built her an ice rink; the one person besides Rory who was able to put up with her crazy antics. She felt happy when she was around him; she felt complete. She wasn't sure she felt that anymore. Since April came into his life, things had changed. She didn't feel that same happiness – she didn't get that same rush. She knew she loved him, but, at the same time, she knew she couldn't wait for him. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't put these thoughts into words.

She couldn't justify her reasoning; no one understood her. With this particular situation, not even Rory understood her. She heaved a heavy sigh and picked up the phone. She set it back down, picked it back up, set it down, picked it up, set it down… she repeated this process several times, frowning. Finally, she dialed the number she knew by heart and pressed the phone against her ear.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hi," she breathed quietly, "I need to talk to you."

"Okay…"

"In person. Can you come by when you get a chance?"

"Of course. I'll be over soon."

"Thanks."

She hung up.

There was no backing out now. She had made her decision.

Patiently, she waited.

It seemed like only seconds had passed before a hand rapped on the door. Robotically, she got up and moved towards the door. She took a breath and opened the door, a small smile on her face.

There he stood, his eyes laden with worry.

"Hi, Chris."

* * *

><p>"Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked hurriedly.<p>

"Nothing's wrong," she assured him, "at least, I hope not…"

She ushered him inside and sat down on the couch. He sank beside her, his expression signaling he hadn't believed her.

"I promise," she gave a small laugh, "I'm fine."

He relaxed visibly. "Then what is it, Lor?"

She leaned towards him nervously, letting herself give in to the inner turmoil in her heart that urged her to kiss him.

She expected sparks. She expected her heart to fly with joy. "This is the one," she expected it to tell her eagerly. She expected too much.

She felt nothing. There was no connection – no sparks. She couldn't remember why she had ever been attracted to this man. Her heart fell. She heaved a sigh, which could have easily been misinterpreted for something other than regret and disappointment.

She had already promised herself she would see this through. She couldn't back out now.

Meeting his gaze, she opened her mouth to speak. No words came out.

"Lor?" he probed.

"I… I'm pregnant." She locked her eyes on his, refusing to look away. That was a sign of weakness, and Lorelai Gilmore was not weak. She watched as his expression changed. He was worried. Then he was confused. Then he was surprised. And finally, a small grin graced his face.

"A… Are you sure?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, "confirmed this morning."

"And you're sure—"

"Yes, Chris," she said calmly, definitively, "you're the father."

The lie came easily to her. It was a familiar comfort, the lie. She had lied to herself so often about her feelings; this was just another thing to add to that ever-growing list.

She wasn't sure what she knew, but she knew one thing: she couldn't turn back now. It was full steam ahead.

She wasn't sure what compelled her to lie—what compelled her to call Christopher. Just moments ago, she had told herself she loved Luke. She had told herself she regretted her decision. And yet… here she was, plagued with yet another eventual regret.

"That's… great!" he said happily, pulling her into a hug.

"Yeah," she laughed nervously.

"I promise you, Lor, I will be here for you. I'll do anything I need to do to help you prepare and take care of this child. What happened with Rory—it won't happen again. We'll make it work."

She nodded deftly, not entirely paying attention. It was nice to have him this committed to their relationship. Luke hadn't been able to give her that, and to get this satisfaction from Christopher… it was nice.

"Okay."

* * *

><p>Like I said, don't hate me.<p>

I hate Chris as much as the next person, but Lorelai clearly doesn't hate him.

This story... it won't be Lorelai/Luke for a long while. I wish I was kidding with that.

I don't blame you if you stop reading for that. But to people who do want to keep reading:

Thank you for giving this story a chance. It's different, it's not what a lot of fans like (Lorelai/Chris), and it's... interesting.

- Puppet


	2. Regrets

Although I am still working on _Against the World_, I've hit a minor road block with inspiration. As I said, I know where the next 8+ chapters take this story, so I decided to work on it a little more. Woo!

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Gilmore Girls, I would be married. But I'm not, since I'm only in high school.

* * *

><p>It was strange for her to wake up in the morning with Christopher beside her. It startled her at first; she wondered who the man next to her was. But then she remembered. There was a frightening feeling that brewed inside her. It made her nauseous, and it wasn't morning sickness. She put on a smile as she watched him sleep, reminding herself gently that this was just another sacrifice she had to make.<p>

She heard a noise downstairs. Rory hadn't come home last night; at least, not while Lorelai had been awake. She had talked with Christopher and by then, it was already late. The two retired for the night, and Lorelai had no knowledge of Rory returning. She slid out of bed and descended the staircase, worry etched on her face.

As she stumbled tiredly into the kitchen, she gave a sigh of relief. There she was, making breakfast for herself. Wordlessly, Lorelai sat down at the table, her hands folded on the wood. Still, Rory didn't speak. They embraced each others' presence in silence. When Rory sat down, she offered stared at her mother. Then, without speaking, she slid part of her poptart on a plate towards Lorelai. Her mother smiled. An unspoken apology passed between them.

"Is he the father?" she asked simply.

Lorelai cringed. She wanted him to be. It would make her life so much easier. It would relieve so much worry and stress… Luke didn't really want to be with her; that was obvious in his reaction to her ultimatum. She knew she had pushed him too hard—forced him away. She didn't have time to change that now. She only hoped that, despite their break up, they could move past it and still be friends.

She had been friends with him for eight years before they started their relationship, and they had been close. She hadn't met a single guy like him; someone who cared for her and her daughter more than he seemed to care for himself; someone who kept up with her crazy references and put up with her witty responses. She had unique chemistry with Luke, and they both knew that beginning a relationship could jeopardize it.

They just never thought it actually would. They thought they would be in it for the long-haul. Lorelai's first kiss with him had been… electrifying. Sensational. Sometimes it's better not to know what you're missing, but… she couldn't believe eight years of "Luke and I are just friends" had kept them apart. Christopher, Max, and Jason had each been special in their own ways, but Luke… he took the cake. Their contact had been intimate, their relationship always under the critical eye of the town. They were mercilessly scrutinized and adored by the townspeople of the hollow and for a while, nothing stood in their way.

But then something did. Something changed in Luke when April became his daughter; when she claimed him as her own. It was something she had never really seen before, a side of him that said "I have to get to know April; we'll talk later." It was a side of him that, frankly, she was scared to see. She was scared that she was losing him to his daughter, but she didn't want to tell him that. She was afraid of admitting this; Lorelai Gilmore admitted no weakness. She let Luke do this, and when she couldn't handle it… she pushed him away for good.

But despite all this, despite the happiness and the trauma, she hoped they could still be friends. She didn't want to be involved with him anymore; she merely sought friendship. She told herself she couldn't wait for him, and she wouldn't.

"I want him to be," she replied simply, sparing her daughter of the complicated mess inside her mind.

"So you don't know? You can't even guess?" Rory probed.

"Chris is the father," Lorelai replied surely. It had to be true.

"But, you don't know for sure?"

"Rory…" Lorelai warned.

"You don't—"

The conversation died as Chris walked into the room with a bright smile.

"So, Lor, I was thinking," he said, "maybe Gigi and I could move down here. Rory's in college now, so Gigi could take her room," he turned to Rory, "Not to kick you out. We could maybe find a trundle bed for you and Gigi to share. I just thought it would be better to be closer now."

Rory shrugged, "I can trundle it up with Gigi." She still wasn't happy with her mother's answers, but she let the subject slide.

"You want to live… here?" Lorelai asked in confusion.

"Well, yeah," Chris nodded, "I figured you wouldn't want to move out of this house. It is your house and you've lived here for a while… I know how much it means to you."

"That's perfect," she smiled, craning her head for a kiss as Chris walked past her chair.

"Perfect," Chris grinned after he gave Lorelai a quick peck on the lips, "I'll let my mother know and pick up Gigi tomorrow."

_Dumping Gigi on his mother all the time…_ Lorelai forced this thought from her mind. She had made the right choice; Chris had changed. She had to believe that.

She nodded her consent.

* * *

><p>Luke Danes hadn't missed life without Lorelai Gilmore. It had been a dull life, a boring life, and he had been sure that such a life would never exist again.<p>

But as he sat in his broken diner, shards of glass littered about him and Taylor's car still glaring at him, he felt alone. He felt like his world had come crashing down around him. The diner was his life; his relationship with Lorelai was his life. And both had been destroyed. He folded his hands between his knees, staring at the ground.

He could remember every little moment he shared with Lorelai – before they were together and while they were together. Every moment held importance to him; every moment unique in its own way. Each moment special. He took great pride in the fact that Lorelai had chosen _him_, diner man Danes, over anyone else in her life. Over Jason, over her parents' approval, over Christopher.

He had felt special; important. All of this disappeared in a second.

In a second of doubt, of confusion, of surprise, he had lost everything. He had been attacked, surprised with the impossible decision: Lorelai or April? His moment of silence cost him the only constant in his life.

He put his head between his hands, sighing as he shook his head. He had to fix this somehow. He had to get her back; he was lost without her.

The previous two weeks – since the breakup – had been dismal. He proceeded through his routine in silence, glared at his customers, and turned sour by mid-morning rush hour. He was barking mad by the end of the day. He had hurt her deeply, he knew, but he had still held out hope that she would come to the diner. But day after day, she never made an appearance. He didn't blame her.

But at the same time, he did. He blamed her for not coming forward with her concerns earlier; for not waiting for him to process her words; for jumping to the conclusion that he didn't want to be with her. He loved her. He loved her more than he loved himself.

He refocused on his one desire. He was going to get her back no matter what it took.

* * *

><p>"Mail's here!" Lorelai chirped cheerfully, springing from the couch as she noticed the mailman pull away, "I call it!"<p>

No one else moved; Rory was back at Yale and Christopher was upstairs, napping. Still, she bounced towards the door and descended the stairs in a flurry.

She barely noticed the green truck in her driveway.

"Lorelai."

She stopped in her haste. She could feel her heart stop and restart at a thousand beats a minute. She inhaled deeply.

"Hi," she said nervously.

"A car crashed into my diner yesterday," he informed her.

She gasped. "What?" _Had anyone been hurt? How? What was the extent of the damage? _She couldn't help but do a quick glance-over of Luke. He appeared to be fine, and she was able to calm down considerably. Still, these questions still plagued her mind.

"There's a giant hole where my wall used to be. It's gonna take a couple of weeks to fix. It's a disaster, but I don't care. I mean, I care, but..." he trailed off. "You know what, no. I really – I don't care."

She stared at him curiously, clearly confused. At least, that's how he perceived it. In reality, her stare was simply… a stare. She was so conflicted, she couldn't do anything else. She couldn't frown, she couldn't hate him. She couldn't love him, either. So instead, she simply stared.

"It's like it's not even real to me. It's like my life isn't even real to me unless you're there, and you're in it, and I'm sharing it with you. And, uh, I don't know what I was waiting for, and I don't know what I was scared of, but I'm not. I'm not scared, and I'm not waiting. I'm here." Who would have thought that Luke Danes would admit he was scared? Yet there he was, standing in front of her, admitting it all, laying it all out on the table. He would have denied such an occurrence ever happened had it been ten years earlier – before he had even met the woman who would change his life so drastically.

Her breath hitched. She cursed herself. Patience was never her thing. Wallowing was never her thing, either. If she had waited, if she had taken time to wallow… this might not have happened. This whole mess would have just been a figment of her imagination. She wouldn't be standing here while Luke tried to convince her of his true feelings; she would be with him. But as she _hadn't_ waited, she was in an even deeper mess.

"Luke…" she pleaded. _Stop, please… I can't…_

"No, don't say anything," he turned towards his truck, "I've got a tank full of gas, and Maryland is only two-hundred miles away, and I've made us some reservations at a couple of bed-and-breakfasts. I mean if you don't want to do the Maryland thing, we don't have to. I heard you say "Maryland" the other day. I don't know whether you were serious. I'm just trying to cover my bases here."

She was touched at this gesture, the lengths he was going to in order to make it up to her, apologize for his mistake. Still, she forced herself to remember her promise she had made herself just that morning. _No backing out, Gilmore. You're in this forever now. Even if things change, you are not allowed to give up on this relationship. It can protest and complain, but it cannot die._ "Luke, please…"

"I also packed some camping equipment so we can head to Vermont or Maine and, you know, check into a cabin for a week, you know, like a little honeymoon thing. But maybe that's a little too rustic for your taste. Or we could drive to Atlantic city or even Las Vegas if you want to make a real road trip out of it."

"Luke," his name stung her throat, "stop."

"I also did some research, and we can we can also apparently use a sea captain, if you want. I'm not sure how big the boat has to be for it to be legal, but we can head to the coast, and we can knock on some doors, you know, boat doors. Yeah, that's probably not the most sensible way…"

"Just stop."

"But, no no, you were right. I need to be faster. I need to move faster, I need to think faster. And, well, here I am." He seemed so pleased, so proud of himself. It had taken a lot of courage for him to go to her house, load his truck with enough supplies to last weeks, and practically beg for forgiveness. He had never done that before. Then again, he had never loved someone as much as he loved Lorelai.

"It's…" she could barely get out the words, her words lost, "over. It's over, Luke."

"No, you can't say that," he smiled in disbelief, "You can't just say that it's over. It's not over. You can't just decide that it's over. I'm in this, too, you know, and I'm not gonna let it be over. You said, 'be ready now or never.' I'm ready now."

His determination struck her like a knife. She almost cringed at the hurt she was about to cause him. "Luke—"

"Let's go. Let's do this. Let's get married right now. Let's go."

"I'm pregnant," she said.

She could see his hopes rising in his eyes. Something sparkled, and she could feel her heart breaking in two. She held back tears as she watched him, knowing that she could very well lose him. The porch floorboards creaked behind her, and she cursed the man's ability to appear at the most inconvenient of times.

Luke watched with horror as Christopher walked across the porch, joining Lorelai at the bottom of the stairs. He stepped back in surprise, his eyes locking onto Lorelai's accusingly.

"Luke, I'm sorr—"

He was gone before she could even finish, slamming the door in a fit of rage and leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.

She stared after him sadly, bowing her head to stare at the ground beneath her feet.

The man who had been in her life no matter what time it was… was gone. Chris offered a comforting hand, and she shook her head, turning away to clear her mind.

The best place to do that was at work, and she set off for her Jeep. Chris stared after her, unsettled. _In a few days she'll be okay._

* * *

><p>Luke fumed angrily as he drove away. She had let him carry on and on about his plan… only to have another relationship thrown in his face? He could almost punch someone. He would have punched Christopher then and there if Lorelai hadn't been there. He could feel his hatred for the man stirring inside him, dying to be unleashed. He swore furiously.<p>

As he arrived back at the diner, he slammed the door as he entered and stalked behind the counter, frowning at anyone who questioned his dramatic entrance. He shot daggers at any construction worker who stared at him for too long and grumbled as he took orders, complaining openly when one took more than two seconds to make up his or her mind.

His anger towards Lorelai fueled him for the rest of the day. He didn't stop working, didn't stop thinking about her. He drowned himself in his work; preparing food for the relentless workers who were helping him rebuild his diner. This diner was his whole pride and joy, and to see it broken… if he weren't Luke Danes, he would have cried.

When he was finished making food for the workers, he excused himself to his apartment. He closed the door and glanced around, grimacing at the sight.

Everything reminded him of Lorelai. He couldn't purge himself of her; it would be impossible. He would become a hermit. He forced himself to live with the omnipresent Lorelai, sinking into his reclining chair and closing his eyes with a sigh.

_"Luke… I'm pregnant," her voice rang in his ears. He could sense her happiness and joy, her spirit and optimism. He smiled. She smiled. He wrapped loving arms around her, and she sank into his arms willingly, slipping her arms around his waist as his embraced her upper torso."You're the father."_

Luke woke up instantly, shooting out of the chair with wild eyes. It took him a few minutes to regain his bearings, and he heaved a heavy sigh.

"Jeez," he grimaced.

* * *

><p>I'm going to switch between Luke and Lorelai throughout this story. It will focus on Luke, Lorelai, April, and sometimes, if I feel up to it, Christopher. Rory will make appearances, though there won't be many, as this story is not about her.<p>

- Puppet


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